Combined scraper and defrosting device



Oct. 4, 1955 R. H. LOOTENS 2,719,905

COMBINED scRAPDR AND DEFRosTING DEVICE Filed Deo. 24, 1955 United States Patent COMBINED SCRAPER AND DEFROSTING DEVICE Ralph H. Lootens, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Motor Products Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of New York Application December 24, 1953, Serial No. 400,207

4 Claims. (Cl. 219-21) This invention relates generally to window cleaning devices and refers more particularly to an accessory adapted for use in connection with vehicles to wipe moisture or remove ice from the windows of vehicle bodies.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hand operated device having both a flexible wiper blade for removing moisture from a window and one or more ridged scraping edges for removing ice or frost from a window.

It is another object of this invention to provide an electrical resistance type heating element in the body of the device for heating the scraping edge or edges and thereby appreciably facilitate removal of ice or frost from a window.

It is still another object of this invention to provide means for electrically connecting the heating element to the electrical outlet ordinarily provided on vehicles for operating the usual cigar or cigarette lighter.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a window cleaner of the foregoing type composed of a relatively few simple parts capable of being inexpensively manufactured and assembled.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view partly in section of a cleaning device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are respectively sectional views taken on the lines 3-3, 4 4, and 5-5, of Figure 1.

The device selected herein for the purpose of illustrating the invention comprises a body having a handle part 11 and a head 12 at the outer end of the handle part 11. In practice the body 10 is composed of two substantially T-shaped plates 13 formed of any suitable material having dielectric and heat conducting characteristics such, for example, as a phenolic resin. In any case the two plates 13 are secured together in face to face relationship by fastener elements 14 in a manner such that the stem portions of the plates cooperate to form the handle part 11 and the transverse portions of the plates coact to provide the head 12.

The head portions of the plates 13 are offset laterally with respect to one another to provide a space 15 therebetween and the stern portions of the plates have registering recesses in adjacent faces which cooperate to form a space 16. The outer end of the space 16 opens into the space 15 and the inner ends of the stern portions are fashioned to provide an opening through which an electrical cable 17 may be extended into the space 16.

Supported within the space 15 is a heating element 18 of the electrical resistance type comprising a length of coiled wire 19 and a sheath of electrical insulation 20 enclosing the wire coil 19. The wire coil 19 extends lengthwise of the head 12 and the opposite ends are respectively 2,719,905 Patented Oct. 4, 1955 electrically connected to the two fastener elements 14 at the head of the body 10. Thus, these fasteners 14 in addition to clamping the head portions of the plates 13 together also serve as terminals for the heating coil 19.

The electrical insulation 20 comprises opposite side plates 21 and an intermediate plate 22 having an elongated opening 23 therethrough intermediate the ends thereof. The opposite sides`of the opening 23 are closed by the plates 21 and the dimension of the opening 23 is predetermined to accommodate the heating coil 19. The several plates of the sheath 20 are clamped together by the two fastener elements 14 which serve as terminals for the heating coil 19, and the intermediate plate 22 is suitably recessed at opposite ends to enable connecting the ends of the coil 19 to the fastener elements 14. The fastener elements 14 are also connected to electrical conductors 24 which extend outwardly from the cable 17 through the space 16 in the handle part 11. The free ends of the electrical conductors 24 are connected to an electrical plug 25 which is of a nature to enable inserting the same into the usual cigarette or cigar lighter socket indicated by the numeral 26 in Figure 1 of the drawing. The socket 26 is identical to those ordinarily installed on the instrument panels of vehicle bodies and the cable 17 is of sutiicient length to enable cleaning the windows of the vehicle body while the plug 25 is engaged in the socket 26. In this connection it will be noted from Figure 5 of the drawing that the heads at opposite ends of the fastener elements 14 are located within recesses 27 formed in opposite sides of the head 12 so that the body 10 may be laid down by the user without the danger of short circuiting the heating coil 19.

It has previously been stated that the body 10 is formed of a heat conducting material so that when the coil 19 is in operation, the head 12 and more particularly the edges 28 of the plates 13 at the outer end of the body 10 are heated. The edges 28 converge toward the space 15 and provide sharp scraping edges 29 which extend for the full length of the head 12. These scraping edges 29 when heated by the coil 19 render it possible to readily remove ice or frost from the windows of a vehicle body. If desired, provision may also be made for wiping moisture from the windows and this is accomplished herein by providing the device with a flexible wiper blade 30. The blade`30 extends for the full length of the head 12 and is clamped between the head portions of the plates 13 by the fastener elements 14. The outer edge 31 of the blade 30 is fashioned to provide an effective wiping edge and extends outwardly beyond the scraping edges 29. The arrangement is such that the blade 30 may be used in conjunction with either of the scraping edges 29 to wipe the window following the scraping operation or may be used independently of the scraping edges and heating coil as a squeegee for removing moisture from the window. The blade 30 also provides heat insulation between opposite sides of the head.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved combined scraper and defrosting device in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A heated windshield scraper having a handle and transverse head, and comprising a pair of identical generally flat members formed of a heat conducting material, each of said members having a handle portion and a transverse blade portion, said blade portions each having a scraping edge formed by the intersection between a side of said blade portions and an oblique end surface thereof, said members being assembled together in side by side abutment with the scraping edges of said blade portions rice at the outside to provide two alternately usable scraping blades, said blade portions being laterally offset to provide a space therebetween, a resilient wiper blade of heat insulating material disposed between said blade portions in heat insulating relation and extending outwardly beyond said scraping edges, electrical resistance heating means in said space below said wiper blade, and means for connecting said heating means to an external source of current.

2. An article as defined in claim 1 in which said members are formed of a heat conducting plastic material.

3. An article as defined in claim l in which said members are formed of a phenolic resin.

4. A heated windshield scraper having a handle and transverse head, and comprising a pair of identical generally flat members formed of a heat conducting material, each of said members having a handle portion and a transverse blade portion, said blade portions each having a scraping edge formed by the intersection between a side of said blade portions and an oblique end surface thereof, said members being assembled together in side by side abutment with the scraping edges of said blade portions at the outside to provide two alternately usable scraping blades, said blade portions being laterally offset to provide a space therebetween, a resilient wiper blade of heat insulating material disposed between said blade portions in heat insulating relation and extending outwardly beyond said scraping edges, electrical resistance heating means in said space below said wiper blade, said handle portions having complementary recesses defining a passage when said members are assembled, and a conductor in said passage connected to said heating means and adapted to connect said means to an external source of current.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 878,688 Thoma Feb, 11, 1908 2,250,602 Pierce July 29, 1941 2,410,192 Atha Oct. 29, 1946 2,517,247 Seley Aug. 1, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 322,418 Great Britain Dec. 5, 1929 

